Pam Bondi Goes to Washington—but Not to Join Trump Administration
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was once thought to be a favorite to join President Donald Trump's administration. Instead, she will be working with the Washington, D.C., branch of Ballard Partners, a lobbying and public relations firm with strong ties to Trump.
January 22, 2019 at 12:39 PM
3 minute read
Pam Bondi (Photo: J. Albert Diaz/ALM)
Florida's former attorney general will soon find herself in a slightly colder climate than the Sunshine State.
Lobbying and public relations firm Ballard Partners announced Tuesday Pam Bondi is joining its Washington, D.C., office, where she will chair a new corporate regulatory compliance practice.
Bondi will “focus on serving Fortune 500 companies to implement best practices that proactively address public policy challenges such as human trafficking, opioid abuse and personal data privacy,” according to the firm.
The new position follows speculation Bondi would join President Donald Trump's administration after concluding her tenure as Florida's chief law enforcement officer — a role now held by former judge and fellow Republican Ashley Moody.
Ballard Partners has grown in size and influence during the Trump era, Politico reports. In 2018 the Florida-born and -based firm earned revenue of $18.5 million, nearly doubling its 2017 intake of $9.9 million. In addition to a recently opened Washington, D.C., office, Ballard Partners also operates practices in Tallahassee, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
Firm president and founder Brian Ballard is a longtime Republican operator with well-documented connections to the Trump administration. An October 2017 report in Miami New Times detailed Ballard Partners' history as ”the Trump Organization's go-to lobbying wing when it needed to make deals in Florida.” Along with the Trump Organization, the lobbying firm has also worked for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and controversial South Florida private prison company the GEO Group, accused of torture, human-rights abuses and unpaid labor at its facilities.
Read more: AG Candidate Sean Shaw Criticizes Prison Contractor's Donation to Opponent Ashley Moody
Ballard deemed Bondi “one of Florida's most accomplished attorneys general” and cited her reputation as “one of the toughest law enforcement officials in the country.”
“With her unique perspective, experience and stellar reputation, there is no one better to launch and lead our firm's national corporate regulatory compliance practice,” he said. The firm declined further comment.
Bondi called her previous position as Florida attorney general “a privilege and the honor of a lifetime.”
“With my public service now concluded, I am thrilled to join Brian and the brilliant team at Ballard Partners,” she said. “The firm's new corporate regulatory compliance practice will help our clients design and implement publicly conscious initiatives that will elevate their corporate responsibility reputation as well as address their critical regulatory challenges. I look forward to assisting our firm's clients in these complicated and significant matters.”
Related stories:
Florida AG Bondi Deschedules Cannabis-Based Epilepsy Drug via Emergency Rule
Former Judge Moody to Succeed Bondi as Attorney General
Florida AG Pam Bondi Criticizes State Officials Over Voting Recount
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